Graduation: Announcements, Invitations, and a Cool Way to Display Pictures!
Graduation. A time of reflection, excitement, sadness, and hope. Hope for the future that as a parent you’ve done the right thing and the best job, in raising your kid, and he will do fine.
It’s graduation time in our household as we get ready to graduate our oldest. Luckily I was on the ball and got my announcements ordered in a timely manner.
Now I want to be able to sit down and enjoy writing out the addresses, and thinking about the families and friends who’ve been supportive to our son in his growing up years.
As I sorted through his school pictures, that I’ve stored in these binders, my friend and I discussed a cool way to display them for graduation.
Take a long ribbon.
Staple the very top of the photo to the ribbon.
And hang to display!
Do you have any graduates in your home, or any graduates that you’ll be helping to celebrate this June?
If you’re looking for a quick way of ordering your grad invitations or announcements, check out Tiny Prints today! It’s also a great idea for summer party invitations!
(This post is sponsored by Tiny Prints, a paid advertiser for this blog.)
I used Morpheus Photo Animation Suite and scans of photos of my daughter. I used her school photos mostly, and then some portraits we had taken from the years before school. It took some work to define my control points and position them accurately on each photo, but the result is a video file that essentially grows my little girl from toddlerhood to adulthood in the space of about a minute and a half. It’s not perfect, but I’m hoping that by the time my last child graduates, I’ll have learned all the tricks. I wanted to display it in a digital frame, but they seem to only like photo slideshows, so I’ll hide a PC under the table, and just have the monitor set somewhere within the “shrine.” Set that bad-boy to loop continuously, and listen to the ooohs and aaahhs of the guests!
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I used your idea today at our daughter’s open house… but I used a string of yarn and clothes pins to hold all her pictures and HS awards. Everyone thought it was a great idea! So glad you shared.
What a really great idea! My son will actually graduate this fall (we homeschool) so I am really taking notes on great graduation ideas and I love this one!
I love this idea. My nephew is graduating in a couple of weeks and I just ordered a bunch of photos of him that I have on my computer. I am planning to make the ribbon display and surprise my sister and my nephew with it. i think they will both love it. Thanks for the great inspiration.
.-= Karol´s last blog ..Love Them =-.
I think it is pretty cool what you did with the photos! Its ncie to see that progression of growth in one continuous line.
Congratulations!
.-= Lori´s last blog ..Fiddleheads, Eggs and Pasta =-.
OMG! that is like the most HORRENDOUS way of showing off his pictures!! I’m just like GASPING. You stapled his pictures to a ribbon?? ah..so you put holes in his school pictures? There are so many more creative things you could have done without damaging the photos!!!
Hey Cindy, didn’t damage the photos, stapled on the white part. Easy peasy! As far as the SR year I bought an extra print from Costco for $1.49, specifically for that.
Yes, there are many ways and we really like the way that it turned out! No gasping here! :)))
Have a great day!
.-= sandy´s last blog ..Graduation: Announcements, Invitations, and a Cool Way to Display Pictures! =-.
Oh, but I meant to add that the photo on the ribbon is absolutely adorable!
I REALLY wish he wanted a party. ; )
Our oldest is graduating this year. Only he’s pretty blase about it. We’re the ones saying, “Do you want a party? How about a cook-out? Dinner out?” And he’s saying, “Whatever you guys want to do…”
Then again, this is the kid that still only has his learner’s permit. So he has a long history of a very laid-back approach to life. : )
But we did a book through the Apple store with pictures from baby-hood through about a week ago. They’re stunning books and easy as pie if you happen to have iPhoto. (We did one through the Kodak store last year, and I actually think the photo quality from Apple is better. How does that happen?)
So, one down…two to go!
.-= Lori @ In Pursuit of Martha Points´s last blog ..We’re gonna need a bigger boat. =-.
Our boys graduated last evening. So much fun.
I cried a lot at the rehearsal and was so pleased that not a tear fell during the actual ceremony.
Our youngest did a backflip though. Very funny and just a bit embarrassing.
Becky K.
.-= Becky K.´s last blog ..Our Big Day =-.
Hi Becky! That is funny, youngest bro. is ready for the big bro. to go! LOL. Maybe our middle son will do the same thing.
Congrats on the graduation last night!
.-= sandy´s last blog ..Graduation: Announcements, Invitations, and a Cool Way to Display Pictures! =-.
You made me tear up. Something about all of the years laid out before me on a beautiful ribbon… :) My brother graduates from high school next month, yes high school. Large age gap but he is amazing. I will have to track down all of his old school photos and make this. I love it.
.-= Tickled Red´s last blog ..Caprese Ball Bouquet =-.
Hi Sandy, first of all I can’t believe you have a son old enough to be graduating from high school! You are one hot mama! Second, how bittersweet this must be, but what a wonderful foundation I’m sure you and your husband have laid for him as he goes out into the world to make his own decisions. He is lucky to have a mom that cares so much for him. Love the display, you can also use tiny clothespins to pin them to the ribbon without stapling! xoLisa
Great idea on the clothes pins! :) Thanks Lisa!
.-= sandy´s last blog ..Graduation: Announcements, Invitations, and a Cool Way to Display Pictures! =-.
Wow! I’m so excited for E and thrilled for you at the man that he’s become! I am seeing my oldest off to highschool next year and realize that time is flying and all the emotions that go with that. I can’t imagine how you feel! Congratulations!
That’s hard to believe he will be in high school! I remember when you first brought C. home! xo
.-= sandy´s last blog ..Graduation: Announcements, Invitations, and a Cool Way to Display Pictures! =-.
Congratulations to Elliot and your whole family, Sandy. This is a wonderful time!
deb meyers
Graduation, a new and exciting moment for your family to experience together… CONGRATS!
Hanging pic’s on a ribbon, what a great space saving and display idea! Thanks.
.-= Donnetta´s last blog ..Mornings, Ladies and Current Stirrings of My Heart =-.
Love it! Hang in there Mom! Be prepared with lots of Kleenex! So bittersweet! xo
I love the photo garland! I’m sure it’s thoroughly embarrassing for a boy, but I think it’s great. ; )
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Nah, if he would be embarrassed then he’s thinking too much about himself! The garland is a cool way to see how far he’s come … and it won’t be the focus of the party:) People LOVE pix!
Happy weekend! :)
Sandy~
Our son Andrew is graduating on Sunday, June 6th..and since all of our family is from out of state we will be hosting his Open House on Saturday, June 5th.
It’s truly been an amazing time planning….and looking through ALL the memories….and my heart is truly cherishing each and every moment…as this chapter of our lives is quickly coming to an end.
To date, we have over 200 RSVP’s….and I’ve decided to NOT let that fact overwhelm me, and take the joy out of the planning with worry of how to feed that many people. Most families in our area cater the food…we aren’t in that position so we are having a dessert bar:
huge punch bowl chocolate desserts
mini s’mores that can be made at the table
cupcakes that you can add your own sprinkles too
lots of bars…cookies….root beer floats, and containers filled with our son’s favorite candies.
I’m so looking forward to spending the day fellowshipping with so many people…who have etched something on the heart of our son…..
I’ll be thinking of you….as you walk towards your graduation!
Kim~
That’s a whoppin’ party! Enjoy – sounds wonderful!
I LOVE that display of photos, versus the typical glue a few photos on some tag board. It’s beautiful! I will keep this in my ideas file. Thanks!
.-= afarmgirlsdabbles´s last blog ..It’s a Contest! Win Tastefully Simple! =-.
Congratulations! Our oldest graduated last year, and our middle son will graduate next year. It’s a fun (although bittersweet) time.
Our son would have died if I had hung photos of him. . .but I did scatter some photos of him on the dessert table at the Open House we held for him. Made a fun decoration!
We’re having a big outside party. The photo garland won’t be the focus, that is for sure! It’s a cool way to see how far our kids have come …
Love your idea of photos on the dessert table!
No graduates at our house, well unless you count 8th grade, but we don’t celebrate that. Anyways, we have several youth in our church who are graduating and we attend many parties. It’s always fun to see how each family celebrates their graduate. We are spending the weekend with all 10 of them next weekend in Sunriver for our annual Senior Retreat.
.-= Kirstin´s last blog ..My New Favorite Tool: Pineapple (well not sure what it’s called) =-.
Oh, wow, one of our favorite places. That is a great way to celebrate! Our school did celebrate 8th grade grad. but we didn’t throw a big party or anything :) Senior year, totally different! :)
Sandy, my daughter will graduate from high school June 15th. A bittersweet time! I only ordered the minimum number of announcements (25), more than we will use. I feel that some people receiving an announcement may feel obligated to send a gift so I am only sending them to family and a few friends. I wish it weren’t perceived that way because I would love to announce it from the roof-top!
Hi Lori, there are so many people that have seen our son grow up, that would probably be offended in not getting an announcement. I chose to do “announcements” and not typical school “invitation.”
Life is about celebrating its accomplishments! Friends, family and all!
Congrats on your daughter. Very exciting!